


Heat of the moment.

by Walden_Pond221



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxious Bruce, Holding Hands, M/M, One shot?, Shy Bruce, Tony Stark Has A Heart, author is a sap and needs a date, good and soft boys, season: summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 22:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12567160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Walden_Pond221/pseuds/Walden_Pond221
Summary: Between classes two MIT students spend some quality time together.





	Heat of the moment.

      The two men laid beside each other on the lawn, staring up at gathering clouds heads resting on backpacks full of newly assigned homework. The semester had just started with cicadas chirping, students meandering down the path toward stuffy classrooms as a cool wind blew. Both were keenly aware of the blades of grass, the mere inches and centimeters separating their hands. Bruce took a quick look down at Tony’s fingers splayed out with palms up near the pocket of a ratty pair of old jeans. He took in the small details, the tarnished silver ring he wore on his left middle finger, the scar on his thumb, thin blue veins laced up and down his whole hand up to his wrist. He tried to look quickly away but Stark had caught his eye.

He smiled, “Hey you.”

There were other students sitting on the lawn some ways from them but in those two words everyone else vanished. Bruce felt a surge of warmth rise to his face, he looked this way and that to try to hide from those clever brown eyes.

“Hi.” he managed to choke out, still blushing. Counting the blades of grass between their hands he estimated about two to three hundred separated his right pinky and Tony’s left thumb. God, why was he panicking? What was there to be afraid of? “ _Only everything._ ” his mind told him. Why was Tony always so goddamn calm? Why hadn’t he noticed how beautiful his smile was before? Tony’s smile faded till he was simply contentedly staring at Bruce Banner. He wanted to record every little detail of his face in this light, in this moment, the moment they both knew they were stepping into uncharted territory. Bruce sat up, still close to Tony, still counting the blades of grass between their hands, “ _two ninety two, two ninety three_ ” moving closer wouldn’t hurt, would it? Tony sat up with him, he saw his hand moving and gently allowed their fingers to knit together, his scarred thumb drawing slow circles on the side of Bruce’s wrist, feeling his ragged pulse underneath the pad of his thumb. Bruce was elated, terrified, relieved, all at the same time. A thousand thoughts ran through his head, ‘What if someone sees?’ ‘What if I don’t let go?’ ‘What if he kisses me?’ He looked to his friend wide eyed and more than a little scared.

“Are you okay? Do you want to stop?” Stark asked, his voice low.

“No! I-I just thought you were with-“ Banner stuttered, “with that girl? Nancy something? What if she sees? What if someone else sees us, you know?” Tony smiled and shook his head.

“Two things Banner. First her name was Macy. Second, she dumped me like a week and half ago.”

“Oh. But I thought you- that you didn’t like- uh.” He gestured wildly with his free hand, earning a bark of laughter from the other man.

“Y’know Bruce there’s more than this whole binary thing. I mean you don’t have to like-“ he inched closer to Bruce, talking even more quietly, “just hold hands with girls. You can hold hands with anyone. Like I’m holding your hand.” he said with a squeeze.

“Right. So.” Bruce cleared his throat and looked up at Tony Stark like he was the only man in the world. “So that means, you like me? Do I have that right?”

Another peal of laughter, Bruce loved his laugh. Bright and warm like the best parts of summer.

“Yes Banner. I like you. I like holding your hand, I like all of you.”

Bruce felt a warmth blossom in his chest, a feeling he didn’t think he’d ever had before. Not with any girl or anyone. He squeezed his hand back.

“I don’t think I want to go to my next class.”

“You know what, me neither. Feel like walking with me a while?” he asked with a wink that made Bruce’s heart skip a beat.

“Y-yeah! I’d love to.” Tony smiled and was up on his feet first, taking both of Bruce’s hands to hoist him aloft then brought him in for a bear hug.

“I can honestly say I didn’t peg you for a hugger Stark.”

“You learn something new everyday Banner.”

With backpacks on, the two left the quad hand in hand, walking wherever the wind told them.


End file.
